After three relatively straightforward solo albums, the latest project by the former Verve frontman sees him teamed up with a band of serious soul session musicians and the Chicago hip-hop producer No ID (Kanye West, Jay-Z) in pursuit of the "American sound". It's a surprising move for someone so identifiably Brit-rock and while on tracks such as America and Beatitude, the strongest on the album, the solid R&B beats, backed with grandiose choirs and Ashcroft rapping (yes, rapping), may not be what his fans would expect or approve of, it does sort of work. The trouble is, when it goes wrong, it goes really wrong. The beats lose their punch, the songs lose their way and all we're left with are some baffling, dodgy lyrics about life, mankind and the universe. "Ah yeah, the whole damn human race, I wanna put you in my arms and give you a love embrace", he announces on Are You Ready, before going on about "One life, one life, oh! Yeah! Oh yeah! One nation! One nation!", on Let My Soul Rest. Things settle down on Good Loving and Royal Highness (a facsimile of the Velvets' Sweet Jane), which showcase his undeniably great voice, though his foray into falsetto is pretty odd, to say the least. Ashcroft should be given credit for his willingness to experiment, but given his considerable talents and credentials, this just isn't good enough.
John Mayall
So Many Roads: An Anthology 1964-74
(Universal) This lavish, digitally remastered four-disc set covers the breakthrough decade of the British blues patriarch, from the early days and glory years of the Bluesbreakers, the super group/hot house where a young Peter Green, Jack Bruce and Clapton paid their dues - through to his solo output beyond. An immense back catalogue means this is far from comprehensive, but 71 tracks and 40 pages of notes and photos make this a satisfying package. Gruff Rhys Vs Tony Da Gatorra
The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness
(Turnstile) In the year's most random collaboration, the Super Furries man pairs up with a Brazilian protest singer and inventor of a guitar-cum-drum machine for a ramshackle, avant-garde jam in São Paulo. Possibly one for die-hard SFA fans only.
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
SHAITTAN
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
THE%20SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
